96,900 / 1630

96,900 / 1630

Opened as recently as the year 2000, this trail is not much frequented by trekkers and is easily one of the finest treks in the Indian Himalaya. The complete isolation we experience between Chiwabhanjang and Dzongri with magnificent high mountain views all along makes this trek an absolute classic. We also get to interact with Yak herders with their huge herds who spend the months between April and Oct in these grazing grounds. Most of the walk is on the ridge or close to it, the ridge forming the border between India and Nepal. We camp some days in Nepal in the beginning and most days in India. There are sections of narrow paths, ups and downs and some scree walking but for the most part, the trail is good used mainly by yak herders in Sikkim and Nepal. We start from a small, picturesque village of Uttarey and walk through dense forests for 2 days passing some Indian Army Posts till we reach Chiwabhanjang. After that we are mostly above the tree line, walking on the ridge with fantastic views on both sides and the snow mountains towering in the distance. Beyond Parey Megu we pass several pristine high altitude lakes which are revered by the locals. We cross unnamed passes regularly with one of note- DafeyBir which is normally very misty and has a steep descent all the way to the river after it. We hit the most popular trail of West Sikkim, the Yuksom-Dzongri-Goechala trail at Dzongri from where we trek on to Goecha-la (4960m), the highest point on this trail from where we actually have to crane our head to look at Khangchendzonga which is just 9km away as the crow flies. Over the next two days we descend to Yuksom, the erstwhile capital of Sikkim where the first king of Sikkim was enthroned and also has a stone Coronation throne. Easily a classic trek due to the variety in terrain, isolation and for absolutely lovely views of Khangchendzonga, its crowning glory!

Itinerary

Arrive Bagdogra Airport and drive for about 3 to 4 hours to tea estates and small hamlets to reach Darjeeling (2134m). Darjeeling is a beautiful hill station which is most famous for its unique tea which has got geographical recognition and the colonial toy-trains, apart from the Khangchendzonga itself. Overnight Hotel.

After an early breakfast, we set off by jeep for the 5½ hour drive to Pemayangste (2250m). We have lunch at Jorethang, a big town and then drive for another 2 hrs to reach Pelling. We spend the night at a basic comfortable hotel. In the evening you can visit Pemayangtse, the 2nd oldest monastery of Sikkim. Overnight Hotel.

After breakfast, we take a scenic 3 hour drive, through the tea plantations to Uttarey. The road follows the River Rangeet, passing through a beautiful steep sided valley en route. Here we need to show our trek permits. Our first walking day of the trip is on a good trail, through abundant rhododendron forest and cardamom plantations, to a campsite clearing in the forest above the army camp at Chitre (2680m). 4 to 5 hours trekking Overnight Camp.

Acclimatisation day. Today is a short walk to our camp below Chiwabhanjang (3130m) - 2 hrs. There is also an Army post here and pretty crowded with many campers who just come to this point and return. We can walk to a high point called Phoktey Dara in the afternoon where you get fantastic views of the Khangchendzonga range if the weather is clear. Overnight Camp.

After breakfast we start climbing through the forests till a high point with prayer flags from where the views are amazing and we get our first views of the high snowy peaks. We stick to the ridge and continue walking passing a small lake on the right in the beginning and then many yak herder's huts. The scenery on both sides of the ridge is spectacular and we can see a Yak herder's hut on any flat piece of land on the Nepalese side. We stop for lunch midway and continue climbing in phases and walk straight till we reach our campsite at Dhor, next to a Yak herder's hut. The water source here is very far and it is a big effort for the kitchen team to fetch water. Please consume water sparingly and do not waste. Dhor campsite is in Nepal and from a high point we can see mountains in Nepal to the left and Khangchendzonga to the right. - 7 to 8 hours Overnight Camp.

Great place to catch the sunrise as it illuminates the high peaks. We stick mostly to the Nepalese side of the ridge and ascend and descend a few times. We cross a place called Tarun Pani, an enclosure of stone for spring water originating from inside the rocks. From here the campsite of Parey Megu is just 45 mins away. Parey Megu is one of the finest camping places on the trail. It has a huge meadow where the yaks graze and has 3 yak herder's huts. We camp on the flat piece of land just above the hut.5 to 6 hours. Overnight Camp.

The terrain becomes more open and the views of the mountains get larger. We follow a wide valley passing many holy lakes to camp at Lam Pokhari (4200m). We are in camp very early. We can either trek upto the high point a little ahead or go exploring the various lakes around. The campsite is quite chilly. 3 to 4 hrs Overnight Camp.

A long walk lies ahead and one of the tougher days in this whole trail. Today we ascend all the way to a high point called Dafey Bir at 4500m with prayer flags. This section till Dafey bir and a little beyond experiences the worst weather. It can get very windy and cold and there might be snowfall or sleet if the weather goes bad. After we cross the pass we walk through huge meadows till we hit a steep and ugly descent to Gomuthang by the river. Gomuthang has a beautiful campsite and is often used by Yak Herders to camp for a few days before moving on. This is normally where we have lunch before proceeding further 2 hrs to Yangseb another fine camping ground next to a rivulet.6 / 7 hrs. Overnight Camp.

We contour the hillside on an up and down trail and cross a small river and then one final climb to a small pass at 4310m and offering views looking back to the mountains. We then descend again and cross one more stream at Kokling and ascend to the high point with huge meadows called Pangding (4275m) which is reached in 5 hrs. Another excellent campsite with superb views of the mountains on your left and all the smaller hills right upto Yuksom. Overnight Camp.

We descend to the Bikbari stream taking about 2 hrs. As you descend the rhododendrons forest gets denser. After crossing the stream, we climb gently to a small pass from where you reach the expansive meadows of Chaurikhang( 4120m) and Dzongri . 4½ to 5 hrs. Overnight Camp.

We wake up early in the morning about 4am and walk for an hour to the highest point called Dzongri top to see the sun illuminate the snow giants one by one. An absolutely fantastic vantage point to see the whole range. Most of the trekkers who don't have enough time just trek upto this place and return to Yuksom. Overnight Camp.

A short walk, all mostly on the meadows along the Prek Chu with a gradual gradient. The steepness increases and terrain becomes rocky as we reach Lamuney. The emerald green Samiti Lake is a little ahead with coloured prayer flags fluttering around. Overnight Camp.

The Big Day we have been waiting for! We make a very early start (about 3am) and walk around the samiti Lake with Pandim always on our right up the moraine and descending to a sandy bed of a dried lake called the Zemathang Plateau. We cross this and ascend for about 2 hours to reach Goecha La. The view from here is absolutely stunning as we look directly into the eastern wall of Khangchendzonga and the smaller peaks of Rathong and Kabru. We enjoy the sunrise and the views before descending to Thangsing and further down to Lamuney. A long day of about 8-9 hours. Overnight Camp.

We backtrack and take a slightly altered route missing Dzongri and enter the forest path from Kokchurang which gets out at Phedang. The whole trail is filled with Rhododendron blossoms. From Phedang we retrace our way back to Tsokha, our first campsite. Overnight Camp.

EXCLUSIONS

- Any costs arising out of unforeseen circumstances such as bad weather, landslides, road conditions and any other circumstances beyond our control.

Note -
1. Single Room in Darjeeling & Pelling during the trip can be booked at an additional cost of INR 9000.
2. Single Tent for all camping nights can be arranged at an additional cost of INR 11050.
3. Personal Porter to carry your day-pack during the trek can be arranged at INR 14000.